Dolly Parton, 78-year-old country music star and long-standing philanthropist, will be donating $1 million of her own personal savings toward recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene. Parton’s local commercial ventures — such as the Dollywood theme park — will donate the same amount to Mountain Ways Foundation, a company helping those who experienced flooding in the region.
“This is my home,” Parton said at a news conference in Newport, Tennessee on Friday, Oct. 4. “I want to feel like I’m doing my part.”
Hurricane Helene touched down in Florida before tearing through the southern states, damaging buildings, causing flash-flooding, and knocking out power for millions of citizens. So far, Hurricane Helene — “the deadliest mainland storm” since Hurricane Katrina occurred in 2005 — has been recorded as killing at least 225 people; more are still unaccounted for.
